Afghanistan

Lord Astor of Hever: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many improvised explosive devices have been successfully defused by British forces in Helmand province this year.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: During the current Op Herrick 11 deployment, Task Force Helmand has successfully neutralised 768 improvised explosive devices. This figure covers the period October 2009 until the end of February 2010.

Armed Forces: Afghanistan

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will address the concerns of British aid agencies about the ability of soldiers from the provincial reconstruction teams in Afghanistan to manage development projects and earn the trust of local communities.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: Earning the trust of local communities is a key aspect of the International Security Assistance Force counter insurgency approach in Afghanistan of which the provincial reconstruction team in Helmand, including its military staff, plays a crucial role. We are not aware of any concerns from British aid agencies about the ability of military personnel within the provincial reconstruction team.

Armed Forces: Afghanistan

Lord Astor of Hever: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (a) Warthog vehicles, and (b) Viking vehicles, will be deployed to Afghanistan by the end of (1) 2010, (2) 2011, and (3) 2012.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: For reasons of operational security, I am unable to provide the numbers of vehicles currently deployed to Afghanistan or the numbers that will be deployed in the future. However, I can confirm that we are continuously delivering improvements to our fleet of protected vehicles in Afghanistan to ensure that they meet operational requirements. We are buying Warthog vehicles to replace the Vikings on operations in Afghanistan and their delivery is being brought forward, as announced by the Prime Minister on 1 September 2009.
	By the end of 2009, the numbers of protected vehicles in theatre had increased by 36 per cent since August 2009, including 90 per cent more Mastiff and Ridgeback. We are also looking to the future, and are now committed to the procurement of a new light protected patrol vehicle that will replace Snatch Land Rovers in Afghanistan.

Armed Forces: Four-star Generals

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many four-star generals there are in the Army; and what responsibilities are undertaken by each of them.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: There are currently five serving four-star Army generals.
	The Chief of the General Staff is the professional head of the Army. He is responsible for generating a balanced and integrated Army capability, and for maintaining the fighting effectiveness, efficiency and morale of the service. As a member of the Defence Council and the Army Board, the Defence Ministerial Committee, the Defence Board, the Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Senior Appointments Committee he contributes to the conduct of defence higher-level business, with a particular responsibility for providing specialist advice on Army matters. He chairs the Executive Committee of the Army Board.
	The Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, together with the Second Permanent Secretary, acts as joint Chief Operating Officer for Defence, ensuring that strategic decisions are implemented. He is a member of the Defence Council, the Defence Ministerial Committee, the Defence Board, the Chiefs of Staff Committee, the Defence Board Sub Committee on Equipment and the Investment Approvals Board. He co-chairs the Defence Operating Board. He also deputises for the Chief of Defence Staff.
	The Chief of Defence Materiel is the head of Defence Equipment and Support. He is a member of the Defence Council, the Defence Board, the MoD Investment Approvals Board, the MoD Research and Development Board; he chairs the Defence Logistics Board (as the process owner for end-to-end defence logistics) and is the UK's national armaments director. Chief of Defence Materiel attends the Defence Ministerial Committee by invitation.
	The Commander-in-Chief Land Forces is responsible for delivering forces that are properly trained, prepared and equipped to deliver success on current and future contingent operations. He commands the Field Army, Personnel Support Command, which includes the Territorial Army, Force Development Training and the Joint Helicopter Command, which collectively comprise some 90,000 military personnel and 30,000 civilians.
	The Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR) is the senior British Officer in the Supreme Headquarters Allied Forces Europe and in NATO. DSACEUR acts as a deputy for SACEUR on NATO business and has particular responsibilities for force generation for operations. DSACEUR is also the Operation Commander for Operation ALTHEA, which is the EU Operation in Bosnia under the Berlin Plus agreement.

Armed Forces: Languages

Lord Astor of Hever: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the locations of the 140 trained Pashtun speakers serving in Her Majesty's Armed Forces who are not deployed to Afghanistan.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: The individual locations of all non-deployed Pashto speakers can only be provided at disproportionate cost and details would be constrained by security considerations. In-date military Pashto speakers will be located outside Afghanistan for a number of reasons:
	rear-based intelligence support to operations (using Pashto); Pashto language training (instructor or continuation training); general pre-deployment training;mid tour and post tour leave;recuperation between tours (in line with Harmony Guidelines); non-language career progression needs;service employment priorities; andreturning to the reserve.

Armed Forces: Languages

Lord Astor of Hever: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many personnel deployed to Afghanistan are capable in the following languages: (a) Farsi, (b) Hazaragi, (c) Uzbek, and (d) Pashto.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: Year Higher Level Lower Level 
			 Farsi/Dari Fewer than 5 20 
			 Hazaragi 0 0 
			 Uzbek 0 0 
			 Pashto 10 360 
		
	
	A combined figure has been provided for Farsi and Dari as they are mutually comprehensible. The MoD does not currently have a need for trained personnel in Hazaragi or Uzbek. The numbers trained in Farsi/Dari and Pashto at lower levels are planned to increase significantly in subsequent roulements. Higher-level training (for professional and expert qualifications) enables trusted translation; lower-level training enables linguists to undertake basic military business. The majority of the higher-level capability requirement is provided by contractors and locally employed civilians.

Armed Forces: Official Residences

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration has been given by the Ministry of Defence to dispensing with the 10 official service residences as part of the defence review.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: The provision of official service residences has been reviewed several times in recent years to ensure that the system is appropriate, efficient and meets its objective of helping senior officers to fulfil the responsibilities of their posts. However, as part of a programme of work looking at how we can provide better value for money across the Ministry of Defence, we are currently undertaking a further study into the support provided to Ministers, senior officials and senior officers. This study covers, among other things, the provision of official service residences. We hope to conclude the study shortly.

Armed Forces: Redeployment

Earl Attlee: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many employees of Reserve Forces' and Cadets' Associations who are remunerated by the Ministry of Defence are in a redeployment pool.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: None.

Armed Forces: School Children

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children of service background attending private schools in the United Kingdom are paid for out of public funds; of those, how many are children of (a) officers, (b) non-commissioned officers, and (c) other ranks; and what is the total annual cost involved.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: The number of children of service background attending private schools in the United Kingdom receiving public funding for the financial year 2008-09 was 9,090. This figure can be broken down as follows:
	
		
			 Officers 5,710 
			 Non-commissioned Officers 3,320 
			 Other Ranks 60 
			 Total 9,090 
		
	
	The total annual cost to the Ministry of Defence for financial year 2008-09 was £172,844,735 and includes tax and national insurance on the benefit paid to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs by the department on behalf of individuals.
	In the Armed Forces, the allowance paid to service personnel to fund the education of their children in independent schools is known as the continuity of education allowance (CEA). The purpose of the CEA is to allow children of Armed Forces personnel to achieve a stable education against a background of frequent parental postings both at home and overseas. Limits apply in respect of the amount that can be claimed per school term by the service person, and all claims are subject to a parental minimum contribution of 10 per cent per child, per term.

Belfast Agreement

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government in the context of the provisions of the Belfast Agreement, what discussions they have had about funding to the Irish and Ulster-Scots communities in Ireland.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Government are committed to supporting the enhancement and protection of the development of the Irish language and the enhancement and development of the Ulster-Scots language, heritage and culture. It continues to have a range of discussions on these matters.

Businesses

Lord Bates: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many businesses were registered in each region and country in the United Kingdom in (a) 1997, (b) 2006, and (c) 2009.

Baroness Crawley: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, Director General for ONS, to Lord Bates, dated March 2010.
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many businesses were registered in each region and country in the United Kingdom in (a) 1997, (b) 2006 and (c) 2009. (HL2752)
	Data are available from 2000 onwards and relate to March each year. The table below contains statistics for the UK, each region and each country for 2000, 2006 and 2009.
	
		
			 Counts of Enterprises by Region and Country 
			  2000 2006 2009 
			 North-East 49,000 52,865 57,425 
			 North-West 186,180 199,990 211,915 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 134,760 147,510 152,475 
			 East Midlands 126,865 140,245 147,980 
			 West Midlands 155,795 170,085 177,195 
			 East of England 189,780 206,445 217,925 
			 London 312,870 315,725 339,185 
			 South-East 297,815 321,380 337,380 
			 South-West 175,000 191,985 202,550 
			 England Total 1,628,065 1,746,230 1,844,030 
			 Wales 83,760 90,410 92,005 
			 Scotland 132,560 136,930 145,745 
			 Northern Ireland 62,030 67,920 70,620 
			 United Kingdom 1,906,415 2,041,490 2,152,400 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 1: Average net weekly equivalised household income in the City of York Parliamentary constituency area, 2001-02 and 2007-08 1,2 
			   £ per week 
			  Mean income (before housing costs)3 Mean income (after housing costs)3 
			 (a) In current prices4   
			 2001-02 360 330 
			 2007-08 470 380 
			 (b) In 2007-08 prices   
			 2001-02 410 370 
			 2007-08 470 380 
		
	
	1 Incomes are presented net of income tax payments, national insurance contributions and council tax.
	2 Figures rounded to the nearest £10.
	3 Housing costs include rent (gross of housing benefit), water charges, mortgage interest payments, structural insurance, ground rent and service charges.
	4 Current prices are the prices as they were at the time of the survey. For example, data for 2001-02 are in 2001/02 prices and data for 2007/08 are in 2007/08 prices.
	Source: Office for National Statistics

Census

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consultation has taken place with the Scottish Executive on the 2011 census; and whether they were asked for their views on including a question on Scottish Standard English.

Baroness Crawley: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, Director General for ONS, to Lord Foulkes, dated March 2010.
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what consultation has taken place with the Scottish Executive on the 2011 Census; and whether they were asked for their views on including a question on Scottish Standard English. (HL2594)
	The census in Scotland is a devolved matter. There have been frequent discussions between the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the General Register Office Scotland on preparations for the 2011 censuses across the UK, but there has not been any discussion or consultation about Scottish Standard English.

Courts: Northern Ireland

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people in Northern Ireland access the Northern Ireland Court Service website each week.

Lord Bach: The Court Service does not hold the number of people who access the website each week. However, the Court Service website receives 210,000 page impressions in an average week. This is the number of times a page on the Court Service website is accessed.

Courts: Northern Ireland

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Northern Ireland Court Service consultation document entitled Public Prosecution Service to commence proceedings without recourse to a lay magistrate will be advertised in the Northern Ireland weekly and daily press.

Lord Bach: The consultation paper issued on 1 March for a period of eight weeks has been published on the Northern Ireland Court Service website www.courtsni.gov.uk. All individuals, organisations and representative bodies held on the Court Service general consultee list have been contacted individually by mail and have been invited to download the consultation documents from the Court Service website. Hard copies, or alternative formats of the consultation, will be made available on request.
	In addition, the Court Service announced the launch of the consultation by way of a press release to the media.

Courts: Northern Ireland

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many consultation documents were published by the Northern Ireland Court Service during the past five years; and, of those, how many were published (a) on the Court Service website only, and (b) in the press only; and how many individuals (rather than organisations) responded to (1) those published on the website only, and (2) those published in the press only.

Lord Bach: During the past five years the Northern Ireland Court Service has published 19 consultations. All consultations were published on the Court Service website and were accompanied by a press release and letters to consultees. A public notice was published in Northern Ireland's daily newspapers for full public consultations and, where relevant, in a number of regional weekly papers. The remainder were targeted consultations.
	The table below details the numbers of consultations published and the responses received:
	
		
			   Publication  Responses   
			 Year No of consultations Website Press Individual Organisation Total 
			 2010 5* 5 0 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2009 4 4 1 5 16 21 
			 2008 4 4  10 90 100 
			 2007 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2006 3 3 1 2 17 19 
			 2005 3 3 0 0 35 35 
			 Total 19 19 3 17 158 175 
		
	
	* Consultation period is still live

Crown Prosecution Service

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 4 March (WA 363), what independent involvement there is in the three investigations into allegations of race or sex discrimination, bullying or victimisation in the Crown Prosecution Service; and whether any of the investigations involve senior managers investigating staff members of their teams.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: All grievances which disclose issues relating to discrimination, harassment, bullying or victimisation are investigated by independent investigating officers who are outside of the CPS area and line management chain.
	Two of the investigations are being carried out by appropriately qualified internal investigators and one is being carried out by an appropriately trained external investigator. None of the investigations involve senior managers investigating staff members of their teams.

Crown Prosecution Service

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many cases of alleged race or sex discrimination, bullying or victimisation were lodged against the Crown Prosecution Service with employment tribunals in (a) 2007, and (b) 2008; what were the outcomes in each case; and what remedial action has been taken by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: In 2007 there were eight employment tribunal claims lodged against the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) alleging race discrimination; five alleging sex discrimination; and five alleging victimisation. Of the eight race discrimination claims, three were withdrawn, three were dismissed by the employment tribunal and two are currently ongoing. Of the five sex discrimination claims, two were withdrawn and three were settled. Of the five victimisation claims, two were withdrawn, two were dismissed by the employment tribunal and one is currently ongoing.
	In 2008 there were five employment tribunal claims lodged against the CPS alleging race discrimination; five alleging sex discrimination and none for victimisation. Of the five race discrimination claims, one was dismissed by the employment tribunal, three were settled and one is currently ongoing. Of the five sex discrimination claims, four were settled and one is currently ongoing.
	The CPS is unable to provide information on employment tribunal claims relating to bullying as bullying is not included as a head of claim in employment tribunal proceedings.
	The CPS currently employs around 9000 staff and the number of employment tribunal claims lodged in any one year is relatively small. Nevertheless, the CPS carefully reflects on the issues raised in each claim, regardless of the outcome, to ensure that lessons are learned and changes made to policy and practice where appropriate. It also conducts an annual analysis to identify trends at an organisational level.

Crown Prosecution Service

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many staff of the Crown Prosecution Service were disciplined in (a) 2008, and (b) 2009, for breaches of the staff code of conduct with regard to race or sex discrimination, bullying, harassment or victimisation.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: In 2008 there were two members of staff in the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) who were disciplined for breaches of the staff code of conduct with regard to race or sex discrimination, bullying, harassment or victimisation. In 2009 three members of CPS staff were disciplined for these reasons.

Crown Prosecution Service

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 4 March (WA 364), whether there has been any independent assessment of the Crown Prosecution Service's performance regarding race and sex equality, discrimination, bullying, harassment and victimisation affecting its staff since 2007; and, if not, whether such a review is planned.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: In November 2006 Her Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI), following an inspection on equalities in employment practice in the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), commended the CPS in relation to employment and equality (Equalities Driving Justice). The inspection covered all aspects of equality in employment. In July 2007 a Cabinet Office capability review, conducted by an external team of reviewers, commended the CPS's overall work on equality and diversity.
	Following the inspection by HMCPSI, the recommendations it suggested were accepted and a programme of actions developed. HMCPSI will be undertaking a follow-up review in 2010-11, again covering all aspects of equality in employment.
	To enable a more holistic and measurable approach, the actions arising from both reviews have been incorporated over time into the CPS Diversity Delivery Plan and Single Equality Scheme governance arrangements.

Cuba: Prisons

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they made representations to the government of Cuba about the recent death of Orlando Zapata Tamayo, who died in prison after an 80-day hunger strike; and what assessment they have made of the position of political prisoners in Cuba.

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: The Government are concerned about the continued imprisonment of political prisoners and prison conditions in Cuba. We frequently raise these issues with the Government of Cuba, both bilaterally and through the EU. On 23 February the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs made a statement through her spokesperson expressing regret at the death of Orlando Zapata Tamayo. We strongly support this. In addition we continue to urge the Cuban Government to follow up on their invitation to Manfred Nowak, the UN special rapporteur on torture and cruel, degrading and inhuman treatment, by quickly setting dates for his visit and allowing him access to all detention facilities.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government following reports of recent attempts by North Korea to sell weapons and military equipment to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, what is their assessment of the effectiveness of the United Nations sanctions on the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and what steps they will take to prevent the flow of arms into areas of conflict.

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: There is no embargo against the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) purchasing arms. The UN Group of Experts report on the DRC sanctions regime stated that the embargo against supplying arms to non-state armed groups was being breached. The UN Organization Mission to the DRC (MONUC) is empowered by UN Security Council Resolution 1533 to seize any arms which may end up in the hands of militia groups. We work with the international community to support MONUC and build the capacity of the DRC state and military to police the embargo. The UK will not, and has not, issued any strategic export licences that would be in breach of the UN arms embargo and the Government's international commitments.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have raised with the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo the case of Lt Col Innocent Zimurinda, a senior FARDC army officer, who is suspected of human rights abuses; and whether they will make representations to that government for impartial investigations into the alleged abuses and for his suspension from the Congolese army pending the outcome of the investigations.

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: The UK has raised the case of Lt. Col. Innocent Zimurinda with the Congolese authorities and we have pressed the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to take appropriate action on this case. A DRC government spokesperson has said that they will do so. We will support any such action and will continue to monitor the case.
	I visited the country at the end of February, where I pressed the essential need for action to be taken on human rights abuse and for an end to impunity with President Kabila. President Kabila agreed and reaffirmed his stance on zero tolerance. I also discussed the application of conditionality in Amani Leo with the military of the DRC (FARDC) and UN mission in the DRC (MONUC) troops. I delivered our message in no uncertain terms that human rights abuses by FARDC will not be tolerated and that we will press hard for conditionality to be applied wherever necessary. I was assured by MONUC and FARDC commanders that this message is being delivered and that Amani Leo will be conducted differently to Kimia II. I heard how operations have been delayed in Bunyakari to allow MONUC to complete vetting of FARDC commanders to prevent similar cases occurring. However we will remain vigilant and will keep a close eye on the situation.

Education: Overseas Students

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 22 February (WA 210-11), why the provision of passport numbers on confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) forms is compulsory; and what checks are made to ascertain whether CAS forms originate from a legitimate tier 4 sponsor.

Lord West of Spithead: The provision of passport numbers on confirmations of acceptance for studies (CAS) is a security feature to combat fraud. By entering passport numbers on the CAS the education provider confirms that they are making an offer to the specific holder of the passport. The CAS cannot be forged, tampered with or reused so the UK Border Agency is able to confirm that the person applying for leave is the person who will study with the education provider.
	A confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is not a paper document; it is a virtual document, similar to a database record, which sponsors complete within the sponsorship management system (SMS).

Elections

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many days there are between the close of nominations for elections to the National Assembly for Wales and (a) the last day for receipt of postal vote applications, and (b) polling day.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Applications for postal votes for elections to the National Assembly for Wales must be received by 5pm on the 11th day before polling day. Postal ballot papers cannot be sent out before that time. Nominations close at noon on the 19th day before polling day.

Estate Agents: Regulation

Baroness Harris of Richmond: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Office of Fair Trading has decided that estate agents do not require regulation.

Lord Young of Norwood Green: The Office of Fair Trading published a market study report entitled Home Buying and Selling on 18 February 2010. The rationale for the OFT's recommendations is set out in this report. The Government will respond to the OFT's recommendations in due course.

Expenditure: Office Equipment

Lord Bates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the average purchase price, excluding value added tax, of a 500-sheet ream of white A4 80 gsm photocopier paper paid by (a) the Local Better Regulation Office, (b) the Competition Commission, (c) the Certification Officer, (d) the Union Modernisation Fund Supervisory Board, (e) the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Advisory Board, (f) Enterprise and Business Support, and (g) the Consumer Council for Postal Services, in the latest period for which figures are available; and how much they spent in total on all photocopier paper in the last year for which figures are available.

Lord Young of Norwood Green: The information is as follows:
	(a) The Local Better Regulation Office
	The Local Better Regulation Office pays £1.99 excluding VAT for each 500-sheet ream of white A4 80 gsm photocopier paper. The total spend was £804.70 excluding VAT for the period for which figures are available-11 months from April 2009.
	(b) The Competition Commission
	The average price of a 500-sheet ream of white A4 gsm photocopier paper purchased by the Competition Commission was £1.88 excluding VAT. For the period 1 April 2009 to 31 January 2010 the Competition Commission purchased 3650 packs of paper at a total cost of £6,862 excluding VAT.
	(c) The Certification Officer
	The Certification Officer pays £2.80 for each 500-sheet ream of white A4 80 gsm photocopier paper. In 2008-09, 210 packs of paper were purchased at a total cost of £588.40.
	(d) The Union Modernisation Fund Supervisory Board
	The Union Modernisation Fund Supervisory Board receives support from my department and therefore does not purchase any photocopier paper in its own right.
	(e) The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Advisory Board
	The department provides the secretariat for the advisory board. The purchase price in (f) below applies.
	(f) Enterprise and Business Support
	Enterprise and Business Support forms part of two directorates within my department and the department currently pays £1.65p for each 500-sheet ream of white A4 80 gsm photocopier paper, exclusive of VAT. Information on actual reams purchased by departmental directorates is not held centrally.
	(g) The Consumer Council for Postal Services
	The Consumer Council for Postal Services was abolished in 2008.

Expenditure: Office Equipment

Lord Bates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment the Office for Government Commerce has made of the total public sector procurement budget for (a) stationery, and (b) photocopier paper.

Lord Myners: This information is not held centrally and to collect it would incur disproportionate cost.
	However, the Operational Efficiency Programme (OEP) published at Budget 2009 gave an estimate of £2.4 billion of procurement expenditure in 2007-08 on office solutions across Government, including the wider public sector. This total includes expenditure on stationery and photocopier paper alongside other categories such as postal services, records storage and office machinery. The Office of Government Commerce is currently compiling comparable figures for 2008-09 as part of its work to meet OEP targets on categorisation of public expenditure on procurement.

Government Departments: Consultancy Services

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Department for Transport and its agencies spent on (a) public relations consultants, and (b) public affairs consultants, in each of the past three years; and for what purposes.

Lord Adonis: The Department for Transport and its executive agencies operate separate finance systems that record expenditure differently and there are no centralised records relating to spend on public relations consultants and public affairs consultants during the past three years. To search across the department's disparate finance systems to obtain this information would incur disproportionate cost.
	Public relations consultants perform an important role in disseminating information to the public on a range of transport issues including road safety. The major campaigns involving public relations consultants and the expenditure on those campaigns in each of the past three years are as follows:
	
		
			 PR Campaigns 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 
			 THINK! £290,885 £229,247 £110,780 
			 ACT ON CO2 £80,987 £49,527 £54,399 
			 Concessionary Fares  £181,688  
			 Aviation   £59 800 
			 Sea Smart £79,148 £54,552 £1,751 
			 Vehicle Registrations   £163,000

Government Departments: Consultancy Services

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, its predecessors and its agencies spent on (a) public relations consultants, and (b) public affairs consultants, in each of the last three years; and for what purposes.

Lord Young of Norwood Green: The department spent the following via the Central Office of Information (COI) and directly with public relations agencies in the last three years. This includes spend for campaigns started by the former Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the former Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS)).
	
		
			 2009-10 BIS campaign (including BERR and DIUS) Company Amount 
			 Pay and Work Rights Four Communications £ 90,000 
			 Family Rights (paternity) Four Communications £ 36,000 
			 Consumer Tipping Awareness Four Communications £ 31,000 
			 Employing People Cohn & Wolfe £163,000 
			 Student Finance and Employability Consolidated £146,640.86 
			 Science (So What? So Everything) Kindred £661,513.58 
			 Iawards Grayling E124,794.49 
			 Employee Engagement Fishburn Hedges £292,265.95 
			 FE Colleges Week Band & Brown £170,852.20 
			 Climate Change Cohn & Wolfe £ 11,276 
			 Media Audit Cohn & Wolfe £ 4,000 
			 Informal Adult Learning Kindred £194,603 
			 Academic Freedom Debates Forster £ 35,896 
			 Total 2009-10 £1,961,842.58 
		
	
	
		
			 2008-09 BERR Campaign Company Amount 
			 Employing People Cohn & Wolfe £165,596.25 
			 Consumer Protection Regulations Trimedia Harrison Cowley Ltd £112,142.03 
			 Flexible working Cohn & Wolfe £ 24,733.63 
			 Queen's Awards Highlight PR £ 19,875 
			 Renewable Energy Gavin Anderson £ 2,506.54 
			 Total 2008-09 BERR £324,853.45 
		
	
	
		
			 2008-09 DIUS campaign   
			 Student Finance and Employability Consolidated £271,610.57 
			 Science (So What? So Everything) Kindred £243,349 
			 FE Colleges Week Band & Brown £199,760.31 
			 Climate Change Cohn & Wolfe £ 49,130 
			 Academic Freedom Debates Forster £115,337.50 
			 Total 2008/09 DIUS £879,187.38 
		
	
	
		
			 2007-08 DTI/BERR   
			 Enterprising Britain Geronimo Communications £172,630.27 
			 Renewable energy Gavin Anderson (UK) Ltd £109,326.38 
			 Employing People GO London £ 30,030 
			 Queen's Awards Highlight PR £ 17,254.61 
			 Fireworks safety Trimedia Harrison Cowley Ltd £ 15,000 
			 Consumer Protection Regulations Trimedia Harrison Cowley Ltd £ 73,000 
			 Total 2007-08 DTI/BERR £417,241.26 
		
	
	
		
			 2007-08 DIUS campaign   
			 Student Finance and Employability Consolidated £273,391.49 
		
	
	External public relations companies are used for raising public awareness on specific issues and are used only where the internal specialism is not available. I have asked the chief executives of the executive agencies to respond directly to the noble Baroness.

Government Departments: Consultancy Services

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Ministry of Justice and its agencies spent on (a) public relations consultants, and (b) public affairs consultants, in each of the past three years; and for what purposes.

Lord Bach: The Ministry of Justice does not distinguish between different types of consultancy expenditure in its accounting records. A one-off exercise was, however, undertaken in 2007-08 which found that expenditure on public relations consultancy was £290,476. This figure has not been audited.
	Consultants are employed by the ministry to provide expertise for a defined period of time that is not available in-house.
	All expenditure incurred is in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury Handbook Regularity and Propriety.

Government Departments: Energy

Lord Bates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment has been made of the total cost of office energy bills to departments.

Lord Myners: The Operational Efficiency Programme (OEP) published at Budget 2009 gave an estimate of £3.6 billion of procurement expenditure in 2007-08 on energy across Government, including the wider public sector. The Office of Government Commerce is currently compiling comparable figures for 2008-09 as part of its work to meet OEP targets.

Government: Correspondence

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Ministers are required to respond to correspondence addressed directly to them on matters of policy rather than delegate responses to chief executives of agencies.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: Cabinet Office guidance Handling Correspondence from Members of Parliament, Members of the House of Lords, MEPs and Members of Devolved Assemblies; Guidance for Departments makes clear that when correspondence relates to day-to-day operations of an executive agency or NDPB, Ministers may authorise the appropriate chief executive to reply.
	Copies of the guidance are available in the Libraries of the House and can be accessed on line at http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/handling_members_correspondence/guidance_ for_departments/guidance.aspx.

Government: Ministerial Visits

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has visited the United States on official business since 1 January; if so, when; for what purpose; and at what cost.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The United States has played and continues to play a critical role in the political process, further progress towards the devolution of policing and justice-which now includes the successful cross-community vote on 9 March-and investment in Northern Ireland. Successive Secretaries of State have worked closely with the United States and have made regular visits to discuss policy. The current Secretary of State continues this policy.
	Details of all foreign visits undertaken by Cabinet Ministers are published by the Cabinet Office annually. Copies are available in the Library.

Justice: Arrest Warrants

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 22 February (WA 233-4), which European Union countries have asked for information from them about the issues arising from the United Kingdom's arrest warrant procedure; and when those requests were made.

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: Officials gave information on issues arising from the application of the UK's arrest warrant procedures in cases of universal jurisdiction during regular EU-wide discussions on foreign relations.

Legal Aid

Lord McColl of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the appropriateness of funding by legal aid of research carried out on the claimants and controls in connection with the measles, mumps and rubella/measles and rubella vaccine litigation.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to recover legal aid money paid to Dr Andrew Wakefield in connection with the measles, mumps and rubella/measles and rubella vaccine litigation.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to recover legal aid money paid to Alexander Harris solicitors in connection with the measles, mumps and rubella/measles and rubella vaccine litigation.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to recover legal aid money paid to Jeremy Stuart-Smith QC, Simeon Maskrey QC, and Augustus Ullstein QC in connection with the measles, mumps and rubella/measles and rubella vaccine litigation.

Lord Bach: The MMR and MR litigations involved allegations that, as a consequence of a national vaccination campaign, children were very seriously injured because the vaccines in question were defective. Legal aid funding, which covered litigation services, advocacy and disbursements for experts, was granted in the early stages of the case and was supported by the opinions of leading counsel, which took into account the expert evidence available at the time.
	The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is obliged to review continually the merits of funded litigation, and to withdraw funding where a case no longer meets the legal merits test. Funding for the MMR and MR claims was therefore discontinued when they no longer met this test. Since those cases concluded, the civil legal aid funding code guidance has been revised, and there are now more stringent criteria for funding high-cost cases, as well as a presumption that legal aid will not be used to fund new scientific research.
	The LSC has no plans to recover the legal aid fees paid to Dr Andrew Wakefield, Messrs Alexander Harris, Mr Stuart-Smith, Mr Maskrey or Mr Ullstein.

Live Music

Lord Colwyn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the dates of the research sources for the numbers of professional musicians in 2006 and 2008 cited in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's report Live Music: An Analysis of the Sector under the heading "increases in those performing music-are there more musicians?".

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Live Music: An Analysis of the Sector report used source material taken from the Creative and Cultural Skills Council (CCSC) studies of the industry.
	We understand that CCSC are making some revision to their material. DCMS will incorporate any changes affecting our analysis in the report in due course.

Media: Newspapers

Lord Ashcroft: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they spend annually on recruitment advertising in the Guardian.

Baroness Crawley: This information is not held centrally and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.

Mohammad Amin Valian

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will ask the government of Iran for clemency for Mr Mohammad Amin Valian, who was sentenced to death after admitting throwing stones at security forces.

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: The United Kingdom is extremely concerned by reports that twenty year-old Mohammad Amin Valian faces execution, having been charged with acting against the national security, propagating against the Islamic system and insulting prominent figures of the Islamic Republic.
	On behalf of all EU member states, Spain as EU presidency in Tehran has sought an urgent meeting with the Iranian authorities to obtain more precise information on the imminent risk of execution of Mr Valian and any other individuals sentenced during the mass trials. As EU presidency, Spain has made clear our deep concern over the possible imminent executions, and reinstated the EU's firm opposition to the death penalty in all its forms.
	These sentences undermine Iran's claimed commitment to justice, human rights and democratic values, and, alongside EU partners, we will continue to call for clemency on behalf of all individuals facing execution for the peaceful pursuit of their basic rights and freedoms.

Nagorno-Karabakh

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether as a United Nations Security Council member they support Armenia or Azerbaijan in their respective claims regarding Nagorno-Karabakh.

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: The Government support the efforts of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe Minsk group to promote a sustainable political settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We encourage both Armenia and Azerbaijan to co-operate fully with the Minsk process.

Northern Ireland Office: Opinion Polls

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government which Northern Ireland Office minister determined the requirements of and sanctioned the opinion poll conducted by the Northern Ireland Office during the week beginning 1 March.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland approved the opinion poll.

Northern Ireland Office: Opinion Polls

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government which minister or official in the Northern Ireland Office devised the wording of questions used in the opinion poll conducted during the week beginning 1 March; and what was the full wording of the questions.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The questions in the opinion poll conducted on 5 and 6 March were approved by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The questions were:
	Ql. Who do you personally think is best placed to make decisions on policing in Northern Ireland?
	Q2. Overall do you support or oppose the agreement to transfer policing and justice powers to the Executive at Stormont?
	Q3. I believe we should transfer policing and justice powers to Stormont so that the Executive can get on with the job of improving life for everyone in Northern Ireland. 1. Agree 2. Disagree 3. Don't know

Northern Ireland Office: Opinion Polls

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the recent poll carried out for the Northern Ireland Office about the transfer of policing and justice powers to the Executive cost; how many people were polled; and when.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The poll carried out by the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) cost £16,215, involving 1,000 people. It took place on 5 and 6 March 2010.

Northern Ireland: Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the ethnic breakdown of the employees of the Northern Ireland Equality Commission.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: Although the Secretary of State appoints commissioners to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, the sponsorship of the commission is a matter for the devolved Administration.
	The noble Lord may wish to write directly to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland or to the relevant sponsor department, the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.

Nuclear-powered Submarines

Lord Dykes: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish the report on the collision between the British and French nuclear submarines in the Bay of Biscay in 2007.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: There was no such collision in 2007. The report on the collision between HMS "Vanguard" and FS "Le Triomphant", which happened in 2009, contains highly classified operational detail concerning the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent, and so, for reasons of national security, it will not be published.

Officers' Training Corps

Lord Astor of Hever: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many officer cadets serving in the Officers' Training Corps (a) regularly attended training prior to the suspension of their pay, and (b) regularly attend training currently.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: The number of officer cadets serving in the University Officers Training Corps (UOTC) that regularly attended training prior to the temporary suspension of pay was two,250. This is the average attendance figure for October 2009. The average attendance figure for February 2010 was 1,387.
	UOTC attendance patterns are to some degree predictable. For example, many first-year students do not sustain their interest in cadet activities beyond the first term. Second term attendance figures are therefore always lower. Attendance is also usually weak during examination periods.

Orange Halls

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government which Orange halls have been attacked in the last 12 months.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: This is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the noble Lord, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Police: Northern Ireland

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the comments by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Shaun Woodward, about withdrawing £800 million of funding for policing and justice gave adequate consideration to the safety of the community in Northern Ireland; and whether the comments were intended only to influence the decision by the Northern Ireland Assembly on whether to devolve policing and justice.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The additional £800 million of funding was agreed specifically in the context of the devolution of policing and justice, and it was at all times clear that it was only on offer in that context.

Police: Northern Ireland

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many full-time serving officers of the Police Service of Northern Ireland speak (a) Irish Gaelic, and (b) Mandarin or Cantonese.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: That is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the noble Lord, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Prisoners: Voting

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the responses to their second public consultation on prisoners' voting rights, which concluded on 29 September 2009; and what is their evaluation of the responses.

Lord Bach: The second stage consultation closed on 29 September and we are currently considering the responses. Details of the views received and the Government's evaluation of the responses will be published in due course.

Prisoners: Voting

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Prison Service has expressed concerns about enabling sentenced prisoners to vote in parliamentary elections.

Lord Bach: The National Offender Management Service responded to the first consultation on prisoner voting rights that there were "a number of complex practical issues that would need further consideration" in relation to facilitating postal voting by prisoners. They further indicated that there was a "fundamental need for further clarity on the administrative procedures that would need to be adhered to should Parliament decide to amend the current UK electoral law".
	NOMS, as part of the Ministry of Justice, was engaged in the development of the options for practical implementation on which the second stage consultation paper sought views. That consultation closed on 29 September 2009 and an analysis of the responses is being undertaken. The responses, and the Government's evaluation of them, will be published in due course.

Schools: Teachers

Lord Quirk: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answers by Baroness Morgan of Drefelin on 3 March (WA 354-5), what importance they attach to educational qualifications; and why they do not monitor and record the educational qualifications of teachers serving in primary and secondary schools.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: Teaching is a graduate-level profession and all new teacher trainees in most subjects since 1980-01, and all subjects from 1983-84, have had to have a degree. Records of teacher qualifications are not currently held centrally, although a new annual school workforce census has been introduced which will help to improve the quality of data in this area. The census will collect information on the level and subject of all post-A-level qualifications held by teachers in primary and secondary schools. The qualifications module of the census was piloted in autumn 2009 and the full roll out of the census is scheduled for autumn 2010.
	Although comprehensive data about the qualifications of serving teachers are not currently collected, the department has a range of information available:
	the Secondary Schools Curriculum and Staffing Survey (SSCSS) provides information on the levels and subjects of qualification of secondary teachers. This is an occasional sample survey that is used to provide national estimates of the number of teachers by subject area. The survey was carried out in 1988, 1992, 2002 and most recently in 2007;in addition, the proportion of first year entrants holding a UK degree of classification 2:1 or higher forms part of the performance profiles dataset held by the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA); and the General Teaching Councils for England and Wales record information on teachers' qualifications upon entry into the profession, including degree subject and the level obtained. This information is not complete, however, particularly for all teachers qualified before 1986 and for a proportion since then (amounting to around 40 per cent of teachers in service). Qualifications achieved after the attaining of QTS are also missing. Consequently, an accurate assessment of teachers' qualifications is not considered reliable from these sources alone.

Schools: Teachers

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average annual salary of (a) primary head teachers, and (b) secondary head teachers, in each of the ten districts of Greater Manchester.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: Information on the average annual salary of head teachers is not available at the district level because leadership grade information has been incorrectly recorded within the data source and any figures provided, broken down by district, would not be reliable.

UN: Territorial Integrity

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether in their activities in the United Nations they give greater weight to territorial integrity than to self determination.

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: The United Kingdom, in its activities within the United Nations, gives weight to both the international legal principles of the territorial integrity of states and the self-determination of peoples. The application of these principles to any given factual situation will depend on all the circumstances.

Unemployment

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government which 10 local authorities have the highest rate of unemployment in the United Kingdom.

Baroness Crawley: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, Director General for ONS, to Lord Bates, dated March 2010.
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Question asking which 10 local authorities have the highest rate of unemployment in the United Kingdom. (HL2727)
	The Office for National Statistics compiles unemployment statistics for local areas in Great Britain using model based estimates. Estimates for Northern Ireland are not available on this basis.
	The latest available estimates cover the 12-month period ending June 2009 and are shown in table 1 for the 10 local or unitary authorities with the highest unemployment rates.
	As with any sample survey, model-based estimates are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in table 1.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at http://www.nomisweb.co.uk.
	
		
			 Table 1: Highest unemployment rates1 in Great Britain by local/unitary authority, July 2008 to June 2009 
			  per cent 
			 Sandwell 14.6*** 
			 Tower Hamlets 13.1*** 
			 Birmingham 13.1*** 
			 Newham 12.9*** 
			 Blaenau Gwent 12.8*** 
			 Nottingham 11.8*** 
			 Leicester 11.5*** 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of 11.5*** 
			 Wolverhampton 11.3*** 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 11.0*** 
		
	
	Source: Model based estimates
	1. Coefficients of Variation have been calculated as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality below.
	Guide to Quality:
	The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV - for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220.
	
		
			 Key Coefficient of Variation (CV) ( %) Statistical Robustness 
			 * 0 ≤ CV < 5 Estimates are considered precise. 
			 ** 5 ≤ CV < 10 Estimates are considered reasonably precise. 
			 *** 10 ≤ CV < 20 Estimates are considered acceptable. 
			 **** CV ≥ 20 Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes.

Unemployment

Lord Bates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the levels of (a) unemployment, and (b) youth unemployment, in each parliamentary constituency in the north east of England in (1) April 1997, (2) June 2001, (3) June 2005, and (4) January 2010.

Baroness Crawley: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, Director General for ONS, to Lord Bates, dated March 2010.
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your question asking what were the levels of (a) unemployment, and (b) youth unemployment, in each parliamentary constituency in the north east of England in (1) April 1997, (2) June 2001, (3) June 2005, and (4) January 2010. (HL2749)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics in line with International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS). However, due to the small sample size, no reasonable estimates are available for parliamentary constituencies in the north east of England.
	As an alternative, in Table 1 we have provided the number of (a) total, and (b) people aged 16-24, claiming Jobseeker's Allowance in each parliamentary constituency in the north-east of England in April 1997, June 2001, June 2005 and January 2010.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at http://www.nomisweb.co.uk.
	
		
			 Table 1. Total Claimant Count and persons aged 16-24 claiming Jobseeker's Allowance resident in each of the parliamentary constituencies in the North East of England. 
			  April 1997 June 2001 June 2005 January 2010 
			  Total 16-24 Total 16-24 Total 16-24 Total 16-24 
			 Berwick-upon-Tweed 2,004 495 1,122 275 848 230 1,644 505 
			 Bishop Auckland 2,479 730 1,780 545 1,201 425 2,796 865 
			 Blaydon 2,511 565 1,266 330 973 280 2,128 595 
			 Blyth Valley 2,783 815 1,794 590 1,386 500 2,675 845 
			 Darlington 3,381 915 2,078 545 1,574 440 3,155 985 
			 Durham, City of 2,165 600 1,251 385 919 290 1,891 600 
			 Easington 2,293 730 1,572 555 1,033 490 2,915 1,050 
			 Gateshead East & Washington West 2,709 790 1,495 470 1,252 450 2,585 770 
			 Hartlepool 4,269 1,285 2,765 810 2,122 740 4,363 1,365 
			 Hexham 1,271 330 776 200 543 155 1,185 345 
			 Houghton & Washington East 2,888 945 2,056 690 1,256 445 2,926 950 
			 Jarrow 3,328 895 2,226 570 1,769 525 3,182 920 
			 Middlesbrough 5,787 1,745 3,935 1,180 2,909 1,095 5,384 1,765 
			 Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland 3,516 970 2,290 675 1,596 550 3,301 1,100 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne Central 3,736 1,025 2,082 535 1,518 465 2,671 775 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend 4,081 1,060 2,418 730 1,886 605 3,647 1,100 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne North 2,786 730 1,409 420 996 295 2,358 695 
			 North Durham 2,741 715 1,538 460 1,175 450 2,701 845 
			 North Tyneside 3,469 950 2,067 605 1,612 510 3,112 860 
			 North West Durham 2,725 740 1,522 395 984 340 2,501 745 
			 Redcar 4,139 1,220 2,753 845 1,986 765 3,943 1,310 
			 Sedgefield 2,011 580 1,637 540 1,091 430 2,445 780 
			 South Shields 4,337 1,145 3,190 775 2,393 710 4,029 1,200 
			 Stockton North 4,228 1,115 2,667 805 1,804 665 3,919 1,300 
			 Stockton South 3,244 845 2,096 610 1,433 455 3,197 985 
			 Sunderland North 3,447 935 2,286 660 1,683 580 3,274 1,105 
			 Sunderland South 4,358 1,185 2,740 715 1,907 630 3,728 1,135 
			 Tyne Bridge 5,225 1,415 3,032 900 2,524 790 4.046 1,090 
			 Tynemouth 2,903 725 1,632 420 1,257 325 2,292 590 
			 Wansbeck 3,028 890 1,792 540 1,501 585 2,776 910 
		
	
	Age data rounded to nearest 5
	Source: Jobcentre Plus Administrative System
	Age data are only available for computerised claims, which account for 99.7 per cent of all claims.

Universities: Foreign Languages

Lord Dykes: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to persuade universities to encourage students to study less favoured European languages such as Polish, Italian, Serbo-Croat and the Baltic languages.

Lord Young of Norwood Green: The Government's policy is to encourage more young people to study modern languages throughout their time in education. Understanding other languages benefits individuals and wider society as well as the economy and Britain's competitiveness. It is, however, a matter for each individual university to determine which specific subjects, including languages, it will teach.

Victoria and Albert Museum

Lord Smith of Finsbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received or made in relation to the future of the musical instrument collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has received four representations from hon. Members and five representations from members of the public about the future of the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum's musical instrument collection. An e-petition on the No. 10 website about this issue has received over 5,100 signatures.
	The future of the musical instruments gallery is a matter for the V&A. However, my department is in regular contact with the V&A about its plans regarding the musical instruments collection and the V&A reassure us that they will conserve this collection and keep it accessible to the public. The V&A intends to display some of its musical instruments in their British galleries, the medieval and renaissance galleries and the new furniture gallery (due to open in 2012) and the new Europe 1600-1800 galleries (due to open in 2014). The museum is in discussion with other institutions to enter into partnerships to loan out parts of its musical instruments collection to keep them publicly available. The Horniman Museum is working closely with the V&A to display some of the collection alongside its existing collection